Hopper with bottom door actuator

ABSTRACT

A hopper has a bottom door which is pivoted intermediate its length about a horizontal axis. That portion of the hopper door which is on the side of the pivot axis opposite the hold is disposed in a part-circular chamber in which it functions as a radial piston, the application of fluid pressure to the chamber above the piston serving to swing the door vertically.

United States Patent [72] lnventor ll'endriklot [50] 222/504, Kinderdijk, Netherlands 211 Appl.No. 852,179

[22] Filed Aug. 22, 1969 389, (lnquired) [45] Patented May 11,1971 [73] Assignee [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS N. V. lndustrieele Handelscombinatie Holland Rotterdam, Netherlands [32] Priority Aug. 23, 1968 [33] Netherlands [3 l 68.12073 ABSTRACT: A hopper has a bottom door which is pivoted inediate its length about a horizontal axis. That the hopper door which is on the side of the the hold is disposed in a part-circular ch functions as a radial piston, the application of fluid the chamber above the piston servi N t m 60 30 WMN 2Hd m n T M A MN m mm R W W m m9m m m M 0 m n.% a m m r. u m m m A m Em L mm s c 0C 5 L H3 U .m .14.. .4 U 5 61 Patented May 1-1, 1971 3,578,222

mvamon HENDR/K POT ATTORNEYS mm wmi BOTTOM DOORVAC'IUATOR The present invention relates to hoppers having bottom doors and means to actuate the bottom doors, particularly to such hoppers which comprise the holds of ships. A

' It is an object of the present invention to provide a hopper in which the opening and closing of the bottom doors' is achieved without control rods running through the hopper. I Another object of the present invention-is the provisionof hoppers in which the bottom doors may be swung vertically by the action of pumps that are useful in other operations.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of hoppers having vertically swinging bottom doors which will be stable in position under adverse conditions such as the rolling of a ship.

Finally, it is'an object of the present invention to provide a hopper having vertically swinging bottom doors, which will be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate, maintain and repair, and rugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a con'sideration of the following l4 communicates with chamber 25 through slot 27 by which the free edge of arched sheet 11 is spaced from the 'uncture between walls 6 and 9. Chamber l communic'a es with chamber 26 through a slot28 by which the free edge of arched sheet 12 is spaced from the juncture of walls 7 and 10.

Means are provided for supplying fluid, preferably water, under positive or negative pressure to chambers 14 and 15,

and for this purpose connections shown at 29 and 30 are prodescription, taken in connection with the accompanying dravving, which is a somewhat schematic transverse cross-sectional view of the hold of a barge or other ship embodyinga hopper according to the present invention.

Referring nowv to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown in a ship's hold a hopper 1 having sidewalls 2 and 3 and end walls 4. intermediate the sidewalls 2 and 3 is a divider 5 having oppositely downwardly inclined upper walls 6 and 7 which are separated by an upright partition 8. Upper walls 6 and 7 terminate downwardly respectively in upright sidewalls 9 and 10. Arched sheets 11 and 12 are also provided in divider 5. Each sheet 11 and l2 is approximately quarter-cylindrical,

the sheets ll and 12 being disposed on opposite sides of partition 8 and opening downwardly and away from each other. The divider 5 is closed at each end by end walls 13 that may simply be portions of end walls 4 and that seal with the upper walls 6 and 7, the partition 8, the sidewalls 9 and i0 and the arched sheets-ll and 12. The end walls 13, the partition 8, the upper wall 6 and the arched sheet ll thus define define a chamber 14 within divider 5. The end walls 13 and the upper wall 7 and partition 8 and arched sheet 12 also define a chamber 15 within divider 5. Chambers 14 and 15 do not communicate with each other.

Oppositely vertically swinging hopper bottom doors [6 and 17 are mounted respectively for vertical swinging movement about horizontal axes l8 and 19 which are disposed intermediate the length of the doors and at the lower ends .of sidewalls 9 and 10 and which are concentric with arched sheets ll and 12 respectively. The free end of door 16 thus cooperates with the lower edge of hopper-wall 2 to close the left side of hopper l as shown in the drawing, or in a downwardly swung position to open this side of the hopper. The free end of door 17 cooperates in the position shown in the drawing with the lower edge of hopper wall 3 to close the right side of the hopper asshown in the drawing, or in a downwardly swung position to open this side of the hopper.

I Latches 20 and 21 on fixed portions of the hopper releasably which is on the side of the pivot axis 18 or 19, respectively, which is remote from the hold. The door portions 22 and 23 have sealing strips 24 which slide against the concave surfaces vided through a portion of end wall 13 that bounds the respective chambers 14. and I5. Through these openings, connection may be made to a pump such as the delivery water pump of a sand pump used in connection with a sand barge. The capacity and pressure of the pumpmay be so high that it is not important whether there is any leakage between portions 22 and 23" and the sidewalls of their respective chambers 25 and 26.

By the selective application of positive or negative pressure to the chambers 14 and l5,'thereby to apply pressure to the chambers 25 and/or 26, the doors l6 and 17 may be swung vertically to open'or close them. Also, it will be noted that the pressure in the chambers 25 and 26 tends to hold the respective doors either in the open ,or closed position, so that the Iustrated in connection with a preferred; embodiment, it is to I swing of the doors relative to the ship will be damped when the ship rolls. Also, whenthe doors are closed, the latches 20 and evident that all of the initially recited objects of the present invention have been achieved.

Although the present invention has been described and ilbe understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention,

as those skilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

l'claim: r a

l. A hopper having a bottom door mounted for vertical swinging movement about a horizontal axis,, said axis being disposed intermediate the length of the door, a first portion of 1 the door on one side of said axis comprising a hopper bottom and a second portion of the door on the other side of said axis being in slidable contact with the walls of a chamber of which one wall is arcuate and .concentric with said axis, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to said chamber to swing said door vertically. r

2. A hopper as claimed in claim 1, said chamber beneath said second portion ofthe door being open.

3. A hopper as claimed in claim 1, and latch means for releasably securing the door in closed position. 

1. A hopper having a bottom door mounted for vertical swinging movement about a horizontal axis, said axis being disposed intermediate the length of the door, a first portion of the door on one side of said axis comprising a hopper bottom and a second portion of the door on the other side of said axis being in slidable contact with the walls of a chamber of which one wall is arcuate and concentric with said axis, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to said chamber to swing said door vertically.
 2. A hopper as claimed in claim 1, said chamber beneath said Second portion of the door being open.
 3. A hopper as claimed in claim 1, and latch means for releasably securing the door in closed position. 